Genuine leather bi-fold wallet by Amelleon (Product Review)

This is a genuine leather bi-fold wallet from Amelleon. It has RFID-blocking capability and protects up to 13.56 MHz. Admittedly I don't know a whole lot about RFID but I know it's good to have if you carry debit or credit cards. RFID keeps your information safer.

The wallet can hold around ten cards and also has a little coin pocket. To find it look in the area where you keep your paper money; on the left side you will see a little flap at the top. Lift that flap and you will find the pocket's opening. It's not a big pocket but kind of nice to have, if you need to carry a few quarters to feed a parking meter, etc.

If you think the standard tri-fold wallets are too bulky, this is a nice alternative. It comes in a nice brown box, and the wallet has a little wrapping tissue around it. It was a great gift for my child's 16th birthday last week, especially since he just got his learning permit. I want him to get used to the responsibility of carrying his license and school ID. This is a great wallet and is suitable for any age.

A small bit of advice: if you take your wallet camping, or know you will be in area where you are likely going to get wet, your wallet and its contents will be that much safer if you store it in a "dry bag." Although most are large (to protect wet clothes without leaking, etc), they are easily obtainable in sizes for wallets or cell phones. These are not items you want to risk by using a food storage bag!

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=me%3DAWR6N4DSVZFN&field-keywords=bifold+wallets+for+men

This is a two pack of sketchbooks by #Lasten. They are each 96 pages and are completely acid-free. At the top they have two coils so it is easy to flip the pages so you do not have to worry about paper getting caught. The covers are made of cardstock.

The smaller sketchbook is just bigger than the size of notebook paper at 8 1/4 inches by 11 3/8 inches. (I am in the United States but I think in Europe it is called A4.) The larger one is 11 3/8 inches by 16 1/2 inches (A3?). I have bought from Lasten before and so I knew to pay attention to the site because quite often they offer deals on their products, so their prices are even better.

I include things like this in my SHTF list for various reasons. One is that in a crisis, stress levels can skyrocket. Downtime is critical, even if it's only a short time. Doodling can be calming and help focus. A sketchbook can also be used for documentation instead of drawing; be sure to keep plenty of pencils in all bug out bags. It's an often overlooked item that is important. Sketchbooks can also occupy and distract small children, who pick up on their parents' or guardian's stress (even if they're trying to hide it).

I am keeping the large sketchbook and giving the smaller one as a gift; they do both have their own sleeve. As you can tell I am nothing of an artist but I do like to just doodle from time to time. It's relaxing and great on a rainy day when you're stuck indoors. I did two little doodles on the same page, one with a mechanical pencil and the other using some watercolor colored pencils that I have always wanted to try. So I drew with the colored pencils and then used a paintbrush to brush them with water. I wanted to know if the water would end up warping the page or the sheet behind it. It did have a bit of warping on the page which didn't surprise me given it is water after all. But I was surprised to find that nothing leaked onto the page behind it.

If you are professional artist and you do paintings and stuff I would definitely put a piece of cardboard in between the pages, or just remove your page. If I was a pro, I might opt for a thicker sketchbook but if you are like me then this is great!
  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M5BPXP1

Collapsible Water Bucket by INNX (Product Review)

Collapsible water buckets are incredibly helpful to have not only on camping trips but also for at home use. This #INNX is my third of this type of bucket, and definitely the largest at 9 inches in height and around 18 inches in diameter.

While marketed for pet baths, it has many other uses. My German Shepherd obviously will not be washed in it, but I can wash my two little white dogs without issue (both together in it even, if I got up the nerve). I got it though because we go camping often, and we have found it really takes two buckets to really get dishes washed. One bucket can be used, filled up with hot (heat the water in a kettle over a camp fire) soapy water. The second is used with just plain water to rinse off the washed dishes.

The inside has proven to be completely waterproof. The outside has not had any water come through whatsoever. There are two wide handles so it can be carried without worry of any tears. I think though that my favorite thing about this bucket is that there are two large pouches, one on each side. If using this for pet baths, you could stick a shampoo bottle on one side. The other could hold one of those microfiber, quick-dry towels that don't take up much h room.

Last but not least, some other home uses include holding emergency water and also to force a toilet to flush (rapidly pour the bucket contents into the toilet bowl to make a non-working toilet flush properly).

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07C78RGDT

13" Knife Sharpener & Magnet Bar by Sumpri (Product Review)

This is a 13 inch #steel #sharpening tool from #Sumpri. It has a large handle that's easy to grip. There is a ring on the end so you can hang it up with the hook that is also included. It also comes with a #magnetic #bar #strip that you can put on your wall and use it to hold your knives. It comes with all necessary hardware to install.

We sharpened up a couple of knives and it works very well and is simple to use. We usually call this a finisher instead of a #sharpener (might be a regional thing) because they are meant to improve what you have. If you are looking to fix any little dings, like those little pieces that get knocked off your #knife from use, I would not use this to try and fix that. This is ideal though for your kitchen knives or steak knives and improving how sharp they are, which in turn makes them more efficient and they do their job much better.

We did not install the #magnet strip because our knives are in a wooden block. We do have plans to use it at our next home not too long from now, where counter space may come at a premium. We did make sure it worked properly and that all the needed installation tools were there.

If you currently do not have anything to sharpen your knives then I would definitely recommend this. We have two: one for use in the kitchen, and one that is kept with our emergency supplies.

Check it out for yourself!

https://www.amazon.com/Sharpening-Professional-Sharpener-knives-Top-SUMPRI/dp/B0751JKMBP/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1508830244&sr=8-10&keywords=sumpri

8" Chef Knife by Amz Soaring

This 8" chef's knife from Amz Soaring is awesome! I did not expect a whole lot from it, to be honest. Apparently at some point I fell into the mindset of thinking the only decent kitchen knives are the couple of big, well-known brands. This one actually works beautifully.

The first thing I used the knife for was to cut up a honeydew melon for my kids. That knife with its German steel sliced right on through the entire thing in one clean whack. No hesitation, no muss no fuss.
The handle is comfortable (I would say it is ergonomic) and easy to hold. I have wrist and hand issues due to daily dislocations from Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, but I have no trouble at all holding this kitchen knife. After chopping up the entire melon into bite-sized pieces and cutting off all the rind, I did not experience any pain in my wrists or hands. The handle is ergonomic and has a very natural feel to it. The weight distribution and length of the knife give it a nice balance and adds to how easy it is to use.

The chef knife comes in a box suitable for wrapping, if it is purchased as a gift for someone. I got this to give to my eldest son, who is about to move away for the first time. A flexible blade sheath is included, possibly made of vinyl. The only thing I can think of to possibly improve upon this knife is to have a better blade sheath. It would not need to be fancy, maybe just a sturdy plastic, plain and simple.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07C8H8CCG

Lightweight Camping Chair by Roraima (Product Review)

This is a lightweight camping chair from #roraima. It comes with a carry bag that has a strap on it so it's easy to carry. The weight in its bag is 5.5 pounds. It does sit rather low to the ground. Even though it's lightweight it's still pretty comfortable; it is stronger than I expected for a lightweight chair. I can sit easily, as can my teenagers. The weight limit is listed at 260 pounds but I'm not sure I'd risk that much.

There is an additional strap included that's bright orange. I'm not quite sure what the purpose is in regards to the #campingchair, but I think one possibility is to attach it to a pack. It just pops open and closed again. There's no effort required whatsoever. It's pretty handy and easy to pop it over your shoulder and you're all set. Take it camping, your kid's sporting events, or simply bring it out and use it when you have more guests than chairs.

The #outdoorchair has two pouches: one hangs off the front and another that hangs off the other side. It is handy to hold a book, notebook, etc. I like it for holding my mandatory crochet project I always work on at camp sites!

The size is 22" x 21.7" x28.3".

Check it out!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077YTHZ49

Cat Tent by Roraima (Product Review)

Last week I showed you the dog tent from #Roraima and now I am going to show you the one for cats!

This cat habitat or #catplaytent is pretty spacious at 75" x 69" x 36". It is made out of a highly breathable mesh. The tent does come with a rain fly that hooks on with an s-hook & loop, but it only covers a small bit. Honestly, I don't think the rain fly would, well, fly if you had this outside; chances are the rain would just come in through the rest of the mesh! So personally I would just use this indoors as a play area, maybe attach some tunnels to one or both of the circular openings. Then the cats can come and go as they please.

You could use this outside if it was on a patio, or if you needed to take your cats with you somewhere and you need them in a safe place; they wouldn't take off like some of them tend to do.

It comes with metal tent stakes if you want to use it outside. A length of material is included so you can tie it up as tightly as possible to get it back in the included carry bag. It is much bulkier than the dog tent and even with tightly tying the material around it, it still took two of us to get it back into the bag and zip it.

To open the tent, push the legs inward and downward and they will collapse. There will still be legs that need to be done so you need to pull them outward at the joint and then the legs will fold in toward the center of the tent. Then you can just wrap the mesh around in one direction (less bulky this way) and tie the strip of material around it.

The #cattent seems made very well. The only possibly negative thing I could say is the rain fly just seems ineffective or unnecessary. If you have cats who like to play indoors then I think they would really enjoy this...inside.

Want to check it out for yourself?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0732TVKL2